Sudan plans prosthetic limb factory as war casualties mount

November 26, 2024 (OMDURMAN) – Sudan on Tuesday announced plans to build a factory producing prosthetic limbs, a grim testament to the rising number of amputations resulting from the country’s ongoing conflict.

Speaking during a visit to the National Mine Action Center in Omdurman, Health minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said the factory would help rehabilitate those who lost limbs in the fighting.

While official figures are unavailable, Ibrahim acknowledged the scale of the problem, noting that “scores of children” are among those requiring amputations.

The conflict, which erupted in mid-April 2023, has seen near-daily artillery and air strikes in and around the capital Khartoum. Civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence, with many suffering life-altering injuries.

“Efforts are underway to establish a prosthetic limbs factory to rehabilitate amputees and reintegrate them into society,” the Khartoum state media quoted Ibrahim saying.

The minister also underscored the crucial role played by the mine action center in clearing unexploded ordnance, which poses a significant threat to civilians in areas retaken from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

He urged the center to intensify its efforts as the army seeks to consolidate its control over the capital.

The director of the mine action center, Jamal al-Bishri said more than 6,000 explosive devices had been removed from across Khartoum state.

Fighting continues in the capital, with the army controlling key areas of Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri, while the RSF remain entrenched in other districts.

During the visit, Ibrahim also inaugurated a kidney dialysis center at al-Fateh Hospital in Karari and inspected a health center run by the Central Reserve Forces.

(ST)